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The Fundamentals of Caring (2016) | Movie Review

This post is spoiler free.

Everything about the Fundamentals of Caring is big, but it’s also very simplistic. It never overdoes it. It’s the ideal movie to watch if you want a casual, nice day in. I watched it on a Sunday and it was so perfect. I felt content, happy, and inspired by the time the movie was finished.

The story follows teenager Trevor, who suffers from Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and his caregiver Ben, who decide to go on a road trip. Along the way they meet some new people, and see some roadside attractions.

I won’t tell you anymore than that. I won’t tell you why they take the road trip or where their ultimate destination is. It’ll be much better going into it with no idea. I did and it was great discovering everything as I went along.

For me this movie was so funny that every time I managed to stop laughing it wasn’t too long before I was starting up again. Don’t let that fool you though, this movie knows exactly what it’s doing. Kevin of course has his limitations and difficulties, and the movie doesn’t sugar coat that, it doesn’t pretend that there aren’t any, but it doesn’t just leave it there. It instead chooses to explore all of the things that Kevin can do, and how he can overcome some of those limitations and difficulties with a little help (in this case from Ben).

The movie doesn’t show a perfect world where Kevin can do everything he wants, because that wouldn’t be realistic, but on the other hand it also doesn’t show a dark and gloomy world where life isn’t worth living. It finds that perfect balance where things are hard, and sometimes seem impossible, but also how life can be bright and wonderful.
I personally found the movie very funny, the kind where you can’t sit still and doesn’t seem to want to end. Whether you find it that funny will come down to whether or not you like the kind of humour. Trust me, you’ll learn pretty early on in the movie whether or not you’re going to find it as funny as I did or not.

The casting was perfect, like always Paul Rudd knocks it out of the park, but so do the other cast like Craig Roberts, Selena Gomez, and maybe others. (See the full list here). You find yourself falling in love with these characters and wanting to see as much of their stories as possible. It’s interesting to see how all of their paths cross and what comes of it.

The Fundamentals of Caring is just a really great movie to watch. It’s got the perfect balance, and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Remember, if you have Netflix, this movie is available on there.